Sites with consumer-submitted reviews of drugs. Each has a slightly different approach to data coverage and presentation. In addition to a numerical rating, most of these sites also provide the full self-reported narrative of the patients experience.
Literature Supporting Use of Consumer Reviews
Paper comparing adverse reaction reports for insomnia drugs from the FDA Adverse Reporting System (FAERS) to user drug reviews shows good agreement – Adverse Events Due to Insomnia Drugs Reported in a Regulatory Database and Online Patient Reviews: Comparative Study (2019)
Paper comparing scientific literature to user drug reviews supports use of web-based reviews “to inform patients’ drug choices, with certain caveats.” – Assessment of Web-Based Consumer Reviews as a Resource for Drug Performance (2015)
Considerations when using web-based patient-authored drug reviews
| Limitation | Description |
|---|---|
| Selection bias | Overrepresentation of extreme experiences |
| Lack of clinical detail | Missing dosage, duration, comorbidities, etc. |
| Subjectivity | Highly personal, inconsistent ratings |
| Incomplete/inaccurate information | May omit safety info, interactions, or provide misleading statements |
| Readability issues | Content may be above recommended reading level |
| Fragmentation | Reviews dispersed across sites, no data integration |
| Non-expert influence | Reviews from non-patients or those lacking medical understanding |
| Risk of misinformation | Overreliance may lead to poor medical decisions |
Ask a Patient features user submitted narrative reviews with an overall satisfaction rating on a scale of 1-5, a drug comparison tool, FDA adverse event report summary tables, and monthly drug safety updates and drug news.
Representative review which can be filtered by age, sex, why taken, how long taken, and when posted (by year/range of years)
“Ask a Patient® is operated by Consumer Health Resource Group, LLC, and has provided comparative drug and healthcare information since 2001. The site provides patients with a unique forum in which to share and compare medication experiences. We are not affiliated with any other company or organization. Librarians, healthcare writers, health experts, and most importantly, patients who have taken the time to contribute their experiences to the AskaPatient database are responsible for creating this site.” – About
User reviews and ratings (scale 1-10) grouped by the condition the drug was used to treat. Presents an average rating as well as percentage of users reporting a positive or negative experience.
Reviews can be found near the bottom of the drugs main info page under the “More about” subheading.
Representative review – Lyrica
“Community treatment reports” for prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, and supplements as well as other interventions (e.g. physical therapy, procedures, lifestyle modifications, psychotherapy, exercise, diet, etc.). Overviews and individual patient evaluations for over 2700 prescription drugs.
Representative review – Tramadol
User ratings for drugs based on effectiveness, ease of use, and overall satisfaction.
“WebMD’s Drugs & Treatments database contains overviews on thousands of prescribed and over-the-counter drugs. Users can provide their personal ratings, reviews, and recommendations for medications they’ve tried, which makes this database even more valuable for people who are facing a medication choice.” – FAQs
Reviews can be found on the drugs main info page in a tab.
Representative review – Amphetamine/Dextroamphetamine (Adderall, Mydayis, and others)
Note – Reviews on RxList are from WebMD.